Looking forward and Positive

[SaintWal]

Our backline is really taking shape. My projections in the next few years.
Delaney, Shenton, Bruce, Dempster, Geary, Roberton (allowing Murdoch, Webster and Saunders to rotate through if required)

Centres
Steven, Armo, Dunstan, Newnes, Billings, Murdoch, Acres, Curran, Wright, Weller, Ross(jury out) (this should develop into one of the best in the AFL IMO)

Rucks
Hickey, Longer

Forwards - the area that we need to recruit heavily
Eli, Millera, Saad (if we get him back), Markworth, Webster, Saunders (both to add forward pressure)

Urgent requirement for a key position player up forward.

Leaving - Jones, Schneider, Maister, Ray, Gwilt (about time to make a call on) then Montagna, Hayes, Riewoldt, Fisher, Gilbert through age over the next two seasons.

Unfortunately I no longer see Simpkin making it. Same with Stanley, Not convinced on Savage, Tom Lee
Siposs is no certainty as with Spencer White and Dunell
If Pierce can come through it may have to be as a tall forward/rotating Ruckman.

[PJ]

Our backline is really taking shape. My projections in the next few years.
Delaney, Shenton, Bruce, Dempster, Geary, Roberton (allowing Murdoch, Webster and Saunders to rotate through if required)

Centres
Steven, Armo, Dunstan, Newnes, Billings, Murdoch, Acres, Curran, Wright, Ross(jury out) (this should develop into one of the best in the AFL IMO)

Rucks
Hickey, Longer

Forwards - the area that we need to recruit heavily
Eli, Millera, Saad (if we get him back), Markworth, Webster, Saunders (both to add forward pressure)

Urgent requirement for a key position player up forward.

Leaving - Jones, Schneider, Maister, Ray, Gwilt (about time to make a call on) then Montagna, Hayes, Riewoldt, Fisher, Gilbert through age over the next two seasons.

Unfortunately I no longer see Simpkin making it. Same with Stanley, Not convinced on Savage, Tom Lee
Siposs is no certainty as with Spencer White and Dunell
If Pierce can come through it may have to be as a tall forward/rotating Ruckman.

I'm not sure Montagna and Gilbert are in retirement trajectory for the next 2 seasons.

[SaintWal]

Maybe Joey and Gilbert aren't in retirement zone but I am hoping that in two years time they will no longer be in the best 22

[PJ]

If that's the case we'll need to do some serious trading because the kids will take a little more time than that to go past Joey.

[SaintWal]

If that's the case we'll need to do some serious trading because the kids will take a little more time than that to go past Joey.

I think you could be underrating some of our kids. Steven is A list and Armo a B, Dunstan and Billings have all the look of A grade already along with Newnes. Joey could finish his career as a small forward and Gilbo may have to end there as well.

As for trading I think we need to draft a tall forward this year, and there are a few. Free agency and our salary cap position should mean that we are in a position to get something good in the next two years via this means. A Jeremy Cameron may not be possible but maybe a Paton is.

[samuraisaint]

Our backline is really taking shape. My projections in the next few years.
Delaney, Shenton, Bruce, Dempster, Geary, Roberton (allowing Murdoch, Webster and Saunders to rotate through if required)

Centres
Steven, Armo, Dunstan, Newnes, Billings, Murdoch, Acres, Curran, Wright, Weller, Ross(jury out) (this should develop into one of the best in the AFL IMO)

Rucks
Hickey, Longer

Forwards - the area that we need to recruit heavily
Eli, Millera, Saad (if we get him back), Markworth, Webster, Saunders (both to add forward pressure)

Urgent requirement for a key position player up forward.

Leaving - Jones, Schneider, Maister, Ray, Gwilt (about time to make a call on) then Montagna, Hayes, Riewoldt, Fisher, Gilbert through age over the next two seasons.

Unfortunately I no longer see Simpkin making it. Same with Stanley, Not convinced on Savage, Tom Lee
Siposs is no certainty as with Spencer White and Dunell
If Pierce can come through it may have to be as a tall forward/rotating Ruckman.

Great post. I agree with everything there, especially who you see as not making it. We must draft one, if not two key forwards in this year's draft. What a joke it would be if GWS finished one space below us on percentage and got, yet again, the best key forward in the draft

[saintsRrising]

What a joke it would be if GWS finished one space below us on percentage and got, yet again, the best key forward in the draft

And that is the cruel reality, GWS AND the Suns despite having already both stockpiled a truckload of the best young talent still get to do it for a while yet.

The Suns will play finals, but due to various manipulations will still get good picks for two more drafts....at least.

[PJ]

The stockpiling will mean that eventually some really good players become disgruntled at the lack of opportunity and look elsewhere. There is no reason any will hold any loyalty unless they get a chance to play. If you were a top 10 or even top 20 draft pick and were languishing in a very B grade NSW comp then I'm sure you would want out.

Problem is everyone else is in the market for these guys so we'll need a leverage point.

[SaintWal]

The stockpiling will mean that eventually some really good players become disgruntled at the lack of opportunity and look elsewhere. There is no reason any will hold any loyalty unless they get a chance to play. If you were a top 10 or even top 20 draft pick and were languishing in a very B grade NSW comp then I'm sure you would want out.

Problem is everyone else is in the market for these guys so we'll need a leverage point.

Totally agree. But almost all clubs near the top end are ready to be picked off. A good example from last night would be a player like Seedsman. Cannot really crack the top 22 at Collingwood but would be an almost automatic pick with us.

I trust Pelchen to get the deals done that are required. Would not be that surprised that at the end of the year some sort of big deal is done. I think now there are only a few untouchables and to see the likes of a Stanley and a round 2 pick or even an Armitage and a round 2 trade for a high pick or big name is not out of the question.

[Con Gorozidis]

My positives from last night:

Newnes
Shenton
Murdoch
Steven
Siposs
Milera

[Old Mate]

My positives from last night:

Newnes
Shenton
Murdoch
Steven
Siposs
Milera

I hope we persist with Siposs. He may not be the athlete or have the versatility as Stanley but I much prefer him in our forward. He deserves a solid block of games to prove himself.

Murdoch showed enough to persist with.

Shenton was in our best 5 players.

Some okay signs from a couple of players.

[citywest]

I don't get it that people still Milera will be a good player. He will only ever be a good VFL player. He will never be more than a battler at AFL level.

[Bluthy]

I feel like the positive this year has been consolidation. The drama around Watters and Pelchen, a new coach, legends retiring, lots of injuries, stacks of new untested players brought in, dwarf-gate, the "bad culture" reputation, off-field tensions around where our home is and our finances. There was potential there to become a Melbourne-type basket case. Yes we've had some blow outs but it hasn't been a disaster by any means. Yes we have a huge hole in our list with the 50+ game players who should be driving the team and making us competitive. But we now have a good development environment in place with players getting good direction and feedback and seeing a pathway into the firsts. You can already see Shenton, Ross, Saunders, Milera, Sippos, Newnes etc getting better albeit slowly. It will be evolution not revolution. Quite a few of those won't have the class to make it. But we still need them to develop to be putting pressure from underneath and making the coaches life difficult at the selection table. If there is anything to be learned from coming so painfully close to a flag, its that its not good enough to have a great top 12 if you're bottom eight are average. You are only as strong as your weakest link. We need our whole squad developing constantly and I think we are now focused on that for the first time in a long time. As supporters we need to show patience as they get games into young players and keep regenerating the list in a way that doesn't throw young players to the wolves.

[mullet]

So glad i support the saints and not richmond

[Zed]

Best we can hope for is our first pick this year is a gun key forward and our 2nd pick a gun pacy and skillful outside mid. Our 3rd and remaining picks end up being good AFL standard soldiers with clean kicking skills.

Same again for the 2015 draft and hopefully we can pick up a couple of tall running defenders as well somewhere in the next 3 drafts.

[mullet]

Wouldnt mind ty vickery. Just watching him sitting in the stand when they need someone to kick goals. Hope he becomes disgruntled is he out of contract

[8856brother]

I don't get it that people still Milera will be a good player. He will only ever be a good VFL player. He will never be more than a battler at AFL level.

Been in our best in our last 2 games. He's battling well. We dont have enough classy players. Tezza is one, and worth persisting with.

[Con Gorozidis]

I don't get it that people still Milera will be a good player. He will only ever be a good VFL player. He will never be more than a battler at AFL level.

Maybe but hes still in our best 22.
Doing enough in his role.

[Jacks Back]

Wouldnt mind ty vickery. Just watching him sitting in the stand when they need someone to kick goals. Hope he becomes disgruntled is he out of contract

No thanks

[Johnny Favier]

I don't get it that people still Milera will be a good player. He will only ever be a good VFL player. He will never be more than a battler at AFL level.

I disagree. I thought Milera was very good on Friday night - showed very tidy disposal and seems to be thinking his game through more than in the past - well worth persevering with IMO.